


Theodora Ren

by donutbully



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Han Solo - Freeform, Multi, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 08:12:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17403281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutbully/pseuds/donutbully
Summary: Theodora Ren is finally up for a promotion, and she has the option to transfer to Ireland. Thrilled with the idea of finally leaving her stagnant life, she decides to make the leap.But now, her last few weeks in Vermont, come crashing down on her. Quite literally.An explosion behind her workplace, leaves her with unconscious, dying Kylo Ren.She can't tell if she's finally gone over the rails, or if life is playing some cruel twisted joke.What she does know for sure, she has to help him.TW;CW: Depictions of explosions, blood, haphazard surgery/stitching, lots of swearing. A decent amount of original character building before we see Kylo Ren. It'll be worth the wait.





	Theodora Ren

"Okay, you ready?"

Theo narrows her eyes at her boss from the corner of the room. She waves her hand towards the webcam, as to say 'get on with it.'

Audrey, the manager of their store, her bestfriend, and her _biggest pain in the ass_ gives her one of her large full tooth smiles, and then sticks out her tongue. She turns to the screen, presses a few computer buttons and then is face to face with herself through the webcam. She smooths out her hair, her shirt, her nametag and then exhales. She presses record.

"Theodora Ren. I mean, what can I say? As you can tell from the paperwork I faxed, her sale numbers speak for themselves. She's smart as a whip, and a hardworker. Her customer service stats in the store are some of the best-"

Theo already feels nauseous. This video recommendation was Audrey's idea, and when Theo suggested just calling "like a normal human", Audrey looked up the cost of putting through a call to Ireland, and well, that was that. But, she wanted that management position at the frameshop in Limerick, Ireland. Badly. When she asked where there was position's avaliable, and read Limerick at the bottom of the list, something just clicked. Out of the state of Vermont, out of the country; something different, finally.

So, Audrey gets to record herself flooding Theo with compliments; no complaints from Theo. Well, not too many complaints.

She focuses back in on what Audrey's saying. "-and in October, she made the biggest framing sale of the entire district-"

Theo huffs. She runs her hands through her hair and pulls out her phone. She scrolls through her messenger app and finds Becca, her other bestfriend, though Becca is more like an older sister if anything. She looks at the time at the top of her screen. 2:30 pm. Becca's probably on break at the hospital, she thinks. She taps on her chat box.

_T: Audrey was serious about this whole video rec thing._

_Read. 2:31 pm_. The chat bubble starts to process, and while Theo waits for a response, she zones back into Audrey.

"She's very good at negotiating with customers. No matter what their resistance is, she always finds a way to make a sale, even if it's small. It's helped turn the number's in the shop back around in just a year. She's great with the new system too, she's-"

 _'Sometime's aggressive, always five minutes late, talks way too much about Star Wars when she's drunk, constantly a bit grumpy-'_ Theo imagines all the things Audrey would really be saying, if she wasn't trying to butter up the corporate over in Ireland. Buttering up was Audrey's specialty. Audrey and Theo have been bestfriend's since highschool, and when they decided to both get jobs in the frameshop, corporate loved Audrey immediately. Theo watched as in just four short years, Audrey made it to the top of the ladder. Theo was fine with that though, she enjoyed being back in the shop anyways. She loved working with her hands, creating designs, handling some of the oldest antiques and finest art pieces she's ever seen. They were both lucky to get a job here without college degrees. Audrey, some would say, more lucky that she now makes salary.

But now that Theo has real bills to pay in the grown up world, management looks like the only option. Making salary would ensure her the money to be able to live comfortably. And now, this job can allow her living comfortably in Ireland. It was almost too good to be true.

Theo's phone chirps.

_B: Well, once Audrey gets an idea in her head, that's that. Is she doing it now?_

_T: Yeah lol._

_B: You must just love listening to that._

_T: She's exhausting._

_B: Yes, you must be so exhausted being showered with compliments... I just had to sew the tip of someone's thumb back on._

_T: God, I'd rather be doing that honestly._

_B: HA! No._

_T: She's telling them about how my martial arts training keeps me focused OH NO. She knows I can't interupt her and she is just milking that hard._

_B: Gotta love her._

Theo smirks down at her phone. Becca and Audrey have never really gotten along, but then again, Becca barely gets along with anyone. When Theo and Audrey were freshmen, she met Becca, who was three years her senior. She was one foot out the door and ready to head to medical school. But, funny enough, both of them started going to the same martial arts studio to relieve some stress. They were teamed up to practice forms together and have been friends ever since. Becca's blunt and hard skinned, while Audrey is flowery and people pleasing. They've never really seen eye to eye, but they tolerate eachother and Theo knows truly, they love eachother.

She'll miss them terribly. They're the closest she has to family. But, she needs this. She needs change.

She's been here her whole life. After her parent's passed in a car accident when she was just two years old, she was in and out of the foster home up until the age of 16. She decided herself at that age to stop going in and out of families. All she cared about was going to school, going to work and having a roof over her head. Between the martial art's studio (her case worker told her to find a way to calm herself down) school and the foster home, she had enough shelter for herself until she could get her own place.

After years of retail stores and food service, she finally had made enough money to get a small studio apartment at 18. Then, she found the framer open positions ad in a newspaper, told Audrey, and now at the ages of 24, here they were.

She looks around Audrey's office. Awards, daily routine board, motivational posters. She sees them everyday. She probably shouldn't see them as often as she does. Sneaking into the office to eat her lunches because the break room is too cold or to chat away with Audrey about getting drunk together the night before (always being blown away by how Audrey can look so well put together, while Theo hobbles in hangover), it should be something that gets you fired.

But, you can't get fired when your boss is non compliant, right?

She looks towards a very particular motivational poster, one she had bought Audrey as a gag gift. It's small, a picture of Darth Vader with his hands on his hips. Under it in big blue letters it says, 'FAITH'. In smaller letter's below that, 'I find your lack of it disturbing.' Audrey rolled her eyes when she opened it. "You really need a life." she teased. Theo laughed at that.

But, now, Audrey was right. Theo really did need a life. Her own life, away from all this.

Theo is pulled from her own headspace with another chirp of her phone.

_B: I'm out of work in an hour and a half if you wanted to meet up. Let me know when you can. Good luck with Audrey lol_

Before Theo could reply, she heard a few computer clicks across from her, along with a giant exhale. She looked up to see Audrey smiling at her from her office chair. "All done!" She chirped.

"Did you really need to add the bit about karate?" Theo huffed.

"Are you kidding? That's badass! Who wouldn't want a black belt on their team?" Audrey started to stand.

Theo rolled her eyes. "A frameshop? We don't work at the White House, Becca. I'm not a security guard."

Audrey waves the words away with her hand, and with the other, pulls her chair out, standing behind her desk. She crooks her head towards it and smiles. "Your turn."

Theo groans as she stands. She had almost forgot that Audrey suggested a small bit of introduction from Theo herself would be a good way to end the video. Theo sits in the chair across from the screen, and Audrey puts her hands on her shoulders and squeezes. "You got this."

Theo looks back at herself through the webcam. Her long brown hair looks nicer today than normal, which is a plus. She had actually taken the time to curl the ends of it, brush out and straighten her bangs. Her eyes, blue and wide, look good with the shade of eyeshadow she chose (a dusty brown) her lips are glossy and her cheeks have a pop of blush. She thanks God she didn't go out with Audrey last night, or she wouldn't have had the time to actually make an effort for this video. She looks at the things she doesn't like to see when she looks back in the mirror, her strong nose, her prominent jaw line and cheekbones. Audrey tells her all the time she looks like 'some kind of Greek goddess', but Theo hates it. Sure, in the right light, she looks decent, pretty even. But when she's home, staring face to face with herself in the mirror, she see's an orphan whose face just wasn't cute enough to make any of the families want to keep her.

Theo releases all that out with an exhale. She run's a hand through her bangs, straighten's her back, and plasters on a smile. She presses record.

"Hello, I'm Theodora. The one you just heard so much about."

\---

"See, that wasn't so bad." Audrey pats Theo's back as they walk through the store. It's almost time to close up, and with the last customers out the door hours ago, Audrey decides she'll start counting the tills.

"Easy for you to say, you have no problem public speaking. I just rambled on like an idiot." Theo rubs one of her wrists, a nervous tick.

"You did great. Don't worry." Audrey smiles. "Yeah, thanks." Theo muttered.

"Hey- honestly. You did. Let's get drinks tonight to celebrate your inevitable promotion."

Theo groans at the idea of alcohol. She was still feeling sore from two nights ago when she almost blacked out, and still had to work the next day. When she arrived to work the next morning, late, disheveled and dry heaving every five minutes, Audrey looked fresh as a new born baby.

But, still, she had a good time none the less.

"Fine. But it's not going to be as buck wild as the other night, got it?"

Audrey puts her palms face up in defeat. "Got it. And you don't get to prattle on about The Jedi and The Sith for fourty five minutes this time."

Theo's face reddens but she smirks. "Fuck off, Aud."

"Love you too." She winks.

She turns the corner to walk towards the two registers at the side wall. Theo starts making her way to close up shop at the other end. She calls out to Audrey.

"Hey! Keys! I'm gonna take out the trash." She puts up her hand, and waits for Audrey to throw. With a sigh and a snap from her belt holster, she throws the back door keys down the aisle. Theo grabs them swiftly, and smiles. "Show off!" Audrey calls over her shoulder as she disappears towards the tills. "You should quit those you know!" Theo hears Audrey call out in the air, and she huffs. Audrey knows that when Theo 'takes out the trash' she's really going to her car out back to smoke a cigarette. In her defense, she does also really take out the shop's trash.

When Theo makes her way into the shop, she takes the sight of it in for a moment. She's been doing this subconsciously for a week, since she made the decision about Ireland. It's smaller than most shops, but does the job. It's an eyeful of brown, all the tables are layered in brown protective craft paper, all the finished pieces are wrapped in brown shipping paper. The wood working station on the back wall is covered in saw dust, and an unfinished frame sits a top some metal studs. It's due in three days, but the molding is being extremely difficult. She flips off the frame as she passes by it, and starts to pull the trash from the bins by the back wall.

She drops the bags by the front counter where her scarf and car keys are. She wraps her long black scarf around her neck, pulling some of it close to her mouth, dragging the back of it up over her head like a hood. She drops her car keys in her jacket pocket, grabs ahold of the trash bags, and starts to make her way. Before leaving, she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the computer on the counter. The hooded figure that looks back makes her feel cool, intimidating even. Almost like a Star Wars character.

Part of her wears it like that for that reason alone, playing into her fantasies just a bit. Science fiction and fantasy have been her one constant throughout her entire life. In school, she was considered too obsessed by some, normal for the most part but still a secret obsession, which to some was even worse than being a self proclaimed nerd. Not many people talked to her, but she can't blame them. Always dressed in black, always keeping to herself. Audrey thought she was interesting, though. That's all that mattered. Then, Becca. She got through her school life with them by her side. Them, and Star Wars. And when the sequels started coming within the last few years, Audrey would not stop letting her forget that the new main villain's last name was Ren. "How ironic is that?" She teased. "Well, technically his last name's actually Solo." Theo would retort, which would get her a roll of the eyes from Audrey. She didn't care much about Star Wars and Becca, well, she hated it. She hadn't even seen a single film, and finds anything fantasy not worth a watch. But, they still got excited for her, because they knew Theo would be excited, and they wanted her to be excited about something, anything. Even if it's just some made up world. Whatever, she thought to herself. What's the harm in losing yourself in a little fantasy when your life is so stagnant?

She adjusts the scarf closer to her face preparing for the cold. It is late autumn after all. She makes her way towards the back with the trash in hand.

\--

It's much colder than she anticipated, the blast of cold air when she swung the back door open immediately stinging her cheeks, the tip of her nose. She rushes down the steps with the trash, tosses them next to her old black Ford Focus, and starts fumbling for her car keys. Puffs of cold breath hit her hands as she untangles the keychain, grabs her car key and opens her door.

She exhales. Her car is cold but much less freezing than the outside world. She starts it up, rubs her hands together for warmth, and blasts the heater. She sits back in her seat and starts to go over everything she said in her video to Ireland. She really did hate public speaking, but for the most part, she thinks she did well. She looked happy on screen and she barely stuttered once. 'This might really be happening.' She thinks to herself. 'Ireland.' She can just imagine driving out somewhere overlooking the ocean, practicing her forms by the sea with the lush green beneath her. She looks up through her car window as she pulls her pack of cigarettes from her jacket.

The first thing that hits her eye is the glint of the gold dice that hang from her rearview mirror. A few meters in front of her, a trash bin. A few parking spots. The overlook for the parking lot below. The mall plaza. The lush forest behind it all, which she admits, is beautiful. One thing this town hasn't destroyed in lieu of expanding the endless lists of shopping centers. She lights the cigarette in her mouth and turns on the radio. VPR- The Classical Music Station.

She looks out at the sunset as she takes a drag. Erik Satie's Gnossienne No.3 resonates through her old car speakers, and she feels for a moment, at peace.

She closes her eyes.

Theodora Ren's life almost ends in under a minute.

A loud deafening crack in the sky makes her eyes snap open. Suddenly, an explosion from the forest no less than a hundred meters from her car, sends a wall of heat rushing towards her, the windows of her Focus shattering in around her. She ducks her head as glass pours around her.

"FUCK!" She screams, not at the glass, but at her cigarette that burns her leg. As quickly as the words escape her, a piece of shrapnel flies through her now broken windshield, inches from her head, piercing into her back seat. She can't see through the tears that have started falling against her own volition, and the shriek of the explosion leaves her hearing muffled, the Gnossienne piece still lingering in the background sounds like its being played through a tin can.

She doesn't want to look in her back seat. She doesn't know if she should move. Did the glass cut her to shreds? With her head still ducked, she pants. "What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck-" She blinks once, twice, down at her feet through her tears. Glass cover's her shoes and the floor of her car. The lit cigarette still burns on the floor, and she finds herself unconsciously stomping it out, glass cracking below her feet.

A second later, another smaller explosion can be heard, and finally she finds herself looking up.

She takes in the scene with her jaw dropped. The forest is on fire. She can hear muffled screaming from the mall plaza parking lot below. A thing is hurtling towards her. Wait, a thing is hurtling towards her- "JESUS!" She screams again, and ducks her head, 'This is it. I'm dead.' plays in her head like a mantra.

Something large crashes next to her car. She doesn't move for what feels like an eternity. 'Am I gone?' She thinks with her eyes slammed shut. She tenses her muscles for an answer, they respond, her shoulders and forearms squeeze against the inside of her jacket. She exhales. With her whole body shaking, she looks up.

Theo's eyes widen, and she shrieks. Her body moves almost on instinct. She pulls down her jacket sleeve to cover her bare hand, pushes away glass, and opens her door. The heat from the fire of the forest is so hot that she immediately feels sweat start to pool under her scarf. She pulls it away from her face, glass clinking to the ground from it as she runs up to the large metal looking ball a hundred feet from her car. "This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't fucking real!" she yells as she see's the figure that hangs lopsided in the seat of the metal casing.

She stops in front of him, heaving. She looks back at the forest, fire blazing wildly and back at the unconscious man. She takes in the sight of him. His long black cloak is the first thing she notices, tattered and hanging from the side of the metal. Then his chest, covered in a black tunic riddled with burn marks and a deep gash to his side. Then, his soot covered face. Her lower lip wobbles as she takes in the sight of his scar, running from the top his brow, down his cheek, and tucking away under his collar. She breaks out in tears. "I'm going fucking crazy! Fuck! Fuck Theo!"

She rubs at her eyes frantically. Kylo Ren does not disappear. "Fuck." She whispers.

The fire cracks loudly across the way from the forest, and it's with that noise that Theo starts to move.

"Okay. Okay." She says in hopes to ground herself. It doesn't work, but she starts to move anyways. She dips her head into the metal casing. It's a pilot's cockpit. It's a TIE Fighter pilot's cockpit. The dashboard is slightly on fire, and soon it'll spread to his clothing. "Okay." She pants again. She turns towards him, moving her body at an awkward angle, as she tries to pull his weight away from the fire. For the most part it works, his body now half hanging out, and she pushes against him, seething under his bodyweight. She plants her feet back onto the ground, and grabs behind his shoulder's as best she can.

The adrenaline running through her body gives her the strength to move his deadweight to her Ford Focus.

She props him against the side. She looks over his body, and pulls air back behind her teeth. The gash in his side is deep, blood rushing from it, and she thinks to herself in any other circumstance she may pass out. She doesn't. She pulls her scarf from around her neck, and fumbles with it as she shakes out as much glass as she can. Her hands move quickly, pulling him forward slightly and starting to wrap it around his waist. Her hearing becomes more clear as she works. Her car is still running, the radio still plays music. Saint-Saen's Le Cygne, she recalls as the piece plays distortedly. The noise of the fire almost drowns it out. "What the fuck is happening?" She whispers as she pulls the scarf over his wound, about to tie it tight. Something stops her. Her hand brushes over cold metal, and she freezes. She moves aside his cloak, and sees it. His lightsaber hilt. Her heart nearly pounds out of her chest. "Jesus Christ." She looks up at his still unconscious face, and remembers for a moment just exactly who is front of her. She swallows, and rips the saber from his belt. She stares at it in her hand for only a moment before placing it on the ground gently. She makes way to pull the scarf into the tightest knot possible. She puts her hand to the side of his neck.

The feeling of a human beating heart beneath her fingertips almost makes her puke. The fact that he's still alive, good. The fact that he's really in front of her, leaned against the side of her practically totaled Ford Focus in the middle of a Vermont shopping center backlot, _fucking insanity._

She rips her hand away, picks up his lightsaber and scrambles to the drivers side door. With sweaty hands, she slips a few times while she reaches under the steering wheel for the trunk button. Third time reaching, with a satisfying pop it opens, and she exhales.

She runs to it, tosses the lightsaber in and slams the trunk shut hard. She rests her hands down on the top of it for a moment, catching her breath. Her momentary relief is ripped away by shriek of oncoming firetrucks and police cars. The hair on her neck stands up and she starts moving back to the task at hand, whatever that may be, she's not entirely sure.

She opens her passenger side door. She fumbles to find her snow scraper on the floor, and shakes it. She uses the brush end to push off any shards of glass from the seat.

She bends down in front of him. "Alright, motherfucker." She pants. "Up we go."

She outwardly groans as she uses all her strength to pull this massive man into the passenger seat of her car. She sits him up as best she can, pushing his legs in with all her arm strength, swearing as she does. She grabs at the ends of his long cloak, and shoves it into his lap with an annoyed yell.

The police sirens get louder. "Okay. Okay. We're going." she says to him. The completely unconscious Kylo Ren doesn't respond. She huffs at herself as she slams the door shut and runs around the front to get to her seat.

She slips in quickly, careful not to cut herself on the glass, and closes her door. _"That was Saint-Saen's Le Cygne performed by-"_ She slams her hand against the car radio knob to mute it. She looks in her rearview as the blue and white lights of the police car's gather around the plaza below. She looks down slightly, and notices the gold dice that still hang from her mirror, despite everything. She looks over at the presumably half dead Kylo Ren. A high pitched laughing cry escapes her throat as she rips them down, shoves them in her jacket pocket, and puts her car into drive.


End file.
